Burchall Report: Macabre Death Race

[Written by Larry Burchall – Column deals with death, please do not click through and read full post if easily offended]

There is a macabre race underway. Today is 24th August 2010 and the race ends 31st December 2010. The race is between road deaths and gun deaths.

Until today, Bermuda had seven deaths attributed to road accidents, with the last being a road death in June 2010. So the road death rate was running a little ahead of one per calendar month. But there have been no road deaths since then.

With the last gun killing, gun deaths now total seven. In August 2010, gun deaths are currently running slightly behind the rate of one per calendar month.

In all of 2009, there were about 92 reports, verified reports, of gunshots. So far, in August 2010, just coming up to the end of the eighth month, there have been over 90 reports, verified reports, of gunshots.

So 2010’s gunshot reports are running ahead of 2009’s. And 2010’s gun death rate is also running ahead of 2009’s. Four gun killings and 92 gunshot reports for all of 2009. So far in 2010, seven gun killings and over 90 reports of gunshots.

If there is a relationship between reports of gunshots and actual gun deaths – an entirely logical conclusion – then gun deaths in 2010 are likely to run apace with gunshot reports.

Clearly, eight months into 2010, it looks as if 2010 will be a ‘killing year’.

If the number of people hit and wounded is tossed into the mix, the numbers and comparisons go all over the place. The number of people hit may well be obscured by the reality that a few people may have elected to conceal their wounds. This would throw the comparisons out of whack – but in the wrong way.

Similarly, if the number of gunshots said to have taken place – but not verified by Police – is allowed for, that 90+ might climb to twice as high – or higher.

But deaths are absolute. Can’t conceal death, because the dead body usually turns up.

And in a typical Bermuda fashion – so does that old bugbear – race. Yup, in these killings, that old ‘race flag’ is waving. Waving high and fast.

The seven road deaths have been absolutely non-discriminatory. People who have died on the road have been black, white, male, female, Bermudian, and non-Bermudian. So the road has been liberal and non-discriminatory. Not so with the gun.

The gun has been virally discriminatory. All the gun deaths have been of black males. In this year, five black Bermudian males and two non-Bermudians – but still black – males. From official and unofficial reports, it seems that the two non-Bermudian males who were killed by the gun may have been killed by mistake. So that leaves the other five black males as ‘intended’ killings.

That is exceptional bias and is extremely discriminatory.

It is almost as if black male Bermudians are being lynched. Self lynched, because so far, I cannot find nor can I see any white fingers pulling those cold triggers.

So there’s this race on. A death race. This heat ends 31st December 2010. In the 2009 heat, with thirteen road deaths, the non-discriminating road won.

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